Women who have delivered an infant between 16 and 36 weeks' gestation have an increased
risk of preterm birth in subsequent pregnancies. The risk increases with more than
1 preterm birth and is inversely proportional to the gestational age of the previous
preterm birth. African American women have rates of recurrent preterm birth that are
nearly twice that of women of other backgrounds. An approximate risk of recurrent
preterm birth can be estimated by a comprehensive reproductive history, with emphasis
on maternal race, the number and gestational age of prior births, and the sequence
of events preceding the index preterm birth. Interventions including smoking cessation,
eradication of asymptomatic bacteriuria, progestational agents, and cervical cerclage
can reduce the risk of recurrent preterm birth when employed appropriately.
Key words
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: April 26, 2010
Accepted:
February 2,
2010
Received in revised form:
December 1,
2009
Received:
October 19,
2009
Footnotes
Reprints not available from the authors.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 Mosby, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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- Care for women with prior preterm birthAmerican Journal of Obstetrics & GynecologyVol. 204Issue 3
